Vivir
by Igraine
Summary: Set after freak nation. Max is reunited with an old friend. Some one from Alec's past shows up. And Transgenics are finding it harder and harder to live.
1. Many meetings

A/N-not to long ago, I started a fanfiction called living with out a future. I only put up one chapter, but decided that I didn't like it very much. I did however like the plot line, so I decided to give it a second go. Hopefully it turns out better this time. Please read, and review if you like it.  
  
Summery-Set after freak nation. Max is reunited with an old friend. Some one from Alec's past has come to find him. And Transgenics are finding it harder and harder to live.  
  
Pairings- Max/Alec, but they will both have relationships with other people before the story ends.  
  
Rating- R, not until latter though  
  
Feedback-I love all feedback, except for flames. If you're not a Max/Alec fan, and you think that Max and Logan are meant to be, and blah blah blah, then you probably wont like this fic. If you do, that's great. But I don't want all of that 'this is so stupid, Max would never be with Alec in real life' because Dark angel is not real, and fanfiction is even less so.  
  
Vivir  
  
Many Meetings  
  
Max & Zane  
  
Measuring a summer's day,  
  
I only finds it slips away to grey,  
  
The hours, they bring me pain.  
  
*Tangerine, Tangerine,  
  
Living reflection from a dream;  
  
I was her love, she was my queen,  
  
And now a thousand years between.  
  
Thinking how it used to be,  
  
Does she still remember times like these?  
  
To think of us again?  
  
And I do.  
  
  
  
Max went over some documents. She felt like all she ever did anymore was work on things to make terminal city more livable. She had already done so much in the past two weeks. They had found a way out, right under the noses of White, and the police. Which meant that they now had a stead income of food, and weapon supplies.  
  
Currently she was going through some inventory forms, so she would know what to have the small group of three X5s, and two X-6s bring in form tomorrow mornings trip out. Plus she was trying to solve the problem of cooking. Not all the broken down apartments that were left in terminal city had kitchens that worked. She was considering setting up a big communal kitchen that anyone could use, but they would need stoves and a lot of things that would be hard to get. It didn't seem there was any other option though. She would run it over with Alec in the morning.  
  
She heard the sound of a baby wailing, soon followed by foot steps towards Max's office. Gem walked through the open door, "Hey Max" she said yawning. "I wanted some company that was old enough to talk, and saw your light on. Hope you don't mind" she sat down on one of the softer chairs in TC, and began to nurse her baby.  
  
"Don't mind at all, I need a distraction" Max said putting down the papers. She was tired. And seeing as though she rarely needed sleep, her being tired meant a lot. She lifted up her palms to her eyes, and pressed in, trying to relive some of the pain in her head. Then she directed her attention back to Gem. "You got a name for her yet?" Max said, motioning her head towards the baby, who was now quiet.  
  
"Nope" Gem said shaking her head. "and Alec has warned me not to take any suggestions from you" she smiled.  
  
Max rolled her eyes at the thought of Alec saying that. She could see it clearly in her mind. His Green eyes glinting with that mischievous twinkle of blue, and he grinned widely warning Gem Of Max's previous name choices. she smiled to herself. "Alec shouldn't be one to talk. Unless you want a bouncing baby girl named Ralph, don't take advice from him.  
  
Gem smiled, "You guys are so much alike" she commented. Max was tempted to deny it, but she was so tired, and the argument didn't seem worth it. She leaned back against her chair, and closed her eyes. "You falling asleep?" Gem Asked.  
  
Max yawned, "No, I'm just resting my eyes" her voice was thick with the sleep that was about to take her over. Gm laughed again, but stood up and left, knowing that Max probably fell asleep the second she uttered those words.  
  
It wasn't until four hours latter, when light had already graced terminal city, that she awoke. "I can't let you in there" She heard Alec saying. "I don't know who you are, and she's asleep. She never sleeps, she doesn't get tired. If she's asleep now, then she needs it" Alec went on.  
  
She heard the sound of a somewhat familiar sigh, and then a new voice that she didn't recognize, "Listen, 'Alec'" The voice ran over the words with a sarcasm that she almost recognized. "I Do know Max, and she knows me. And I also know you, so why are you acting like such a dumb ass. It's me, your good ol' brother" Max sat up strait at this statement, could it be?  
  
"Listen, I DON'T know you. And I have no brother, well, one, but I never met him and he's dead now so-" Alec was cut off, and Max heard a thump sound. She guessed that his person he was arguing with had punched him.  
  
"Hey, you'll pay for that. This face doesn't allow punches" Alec said. She heard another thump, a struggle, then her door was punched open.  
  
A tall Man, about twenty years of age, stood in the room. He had dark curly hair, that was very wild at the moment from the brief struggle. His eyes were a bright green that twinkled with mischief. He had a mouth that was made for smiling. His body was lean and fit. He was a very attractive man. It wasn't more then three seconds before Alec ran in the room and grabbed this man from behind. Max noticed that he was panting, slightly out of breath. "Sorry Max, I couldn't stop him, I'll just escort him out now" he said.  
  
  
  
The man elbowed Alec in the ribs and wriggled out of his grip. "Hey Maxie! Come give your brother a great big hug!" he said.  
  
She knew who he was now. "Zane?" She asked getting up from her desk and walking around it. His huge grin gave him away. "Zane" she said again. She threw her arms around his neck.  
  
"Oh, right. Well, I see now that you two know each other. I'll just be leaving" Alec said beginning to slip out of the office.  
  
"Hey little brother, come here" Zane said to Alec. Alec raised an eyebrow at him, obviously thinking he was mad.  
  
Max looked confused, but the answer quickly came to her. "Zane, this is Alec. Not Ben" She said. She hoped that would be enough at the moment, because she didn't want to have to explain it.  
  
Zane just nodded his head and smiled again. "Right, well, that makes sense then doesn't it" he shrugged his shoulders, and gave Alec a contemplating look. Then turned his attention back to Max. "Well then Maxie, let's say you tell me about the last 11 years of your life".  
  
Max smiled at him, but then frowned. She looked down at her watch. "Damn! I'm on duty. I have to guard one of the entrances to the city. Your more then welcome to come with me if you want" she said. Zane nodded his head. "Great, let's go".  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Eric  
  
Where once was light, now darkness falls.  
  
Where once was love, love is no more.  
  
Don't say goodbye.  
  
Don't say I didn't try.  
  
These tears we cry,  
  
Are falling rain  
  
For all the lies you told us,  
  
The hurt, the blame.  
  
And we will wait  
  
To be so alone.  
  
We are lost,  
  
We can never go home.  
  
So in the end,  
  
I'll be what I will be,  
  
No loyal friend,  
  
Was ever there for me.  
  
Now we say goodbye,  
  
We say you didn't try.  
  
These tears you cry,  
  
Have come too late.  
  
Take back the lies,  
  
The hurt, the blame.  
  
And you will wake  
  
When you face the end alone.  
  
You are lost,  
  
You can never go home.  
  
You are lost  
  
In the darkest corner of the main building in Terminal city, sat a young man, 16 to 18 years of age, curled up in a small ball. Most people walked by, not glancing at him a second time. Most didn't see him at all. But he was used to it. He had not been the strongest soldier in his class, he had been the weakest. He suffered from the most seizures, and never slept. He had never had a Friend in his whole life. He had always been alone.  
  
His face, once healthy, now lacked color. It was thin, as was his whole body, yet in it remained his beauty. His light brown eyes, held pain and loneliness. His mouth, a soft shade of pink that remained the only color in his face.  
  
Were he to stretch out, one would notice he was of average height, 5'11" at the shortest, 6' at the tallest. His body seemed able to remain some mussels, though he had gone months with little to no food.  
  
He wore a white short sleeve shirt with red around the arms and collar. Over that he wore a gas station Jacket. And he wore brown corduroy pants, that were ripped at the ankles and had holes in the knees. On his feet he wore an old pair of white converse, that were brown with dirt. He had stolen his entire out fit from a thrift store.  
  
He ran a thin hand through his thick blond hair, that fell in his face to his eyebrows. A small breeze blew it in small whisps. He felt a coldness, biting away at his flesh and soul. This ice slowly emptied his body, replacing what little warmth that was left, with a painful chill. He was loosing himself inside of his broken heart.  
  
He leaned back against the wall, and pulled his last cigarette from behind his ear. and lit it with a lighter he found in a gutter. He took a deep puff off of the death stick, hoping it would warm his body. It didn't. He rested his arm on his knees, and his forehead on his arm. He rested his other arm on his other knee, stretching it out, holding the cigarette away from his face.  
  
He closed his eyes, and waited for the darkness to take over him. He hated the real world. He had never even been on a single away mission before the fire. He hated whoever was responsible. He hated her, but loved her. Freedom, as dark as it could be, was still freedom.  
  
What Eric didn't know yet, was that a few minutes later he would meet someone. Someone who would change his life forever. Some one who would introduce him to the simple joys of life.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ann  
  
A winter's day  
  
In a deep and dark December;  
  
I am alone,  
  
Gazing from my window to the streets below  
  
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.  
  
I am a rock,  
  
I am an island.  
  
I've built walls,  
  
A fortress deep and mighty,  
  
That none may penetrate.  
  
I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.  
  
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.  
  
I am a rock,  
  
I am an island.  
  
Don't talk of love,  
  
But I've heard the words before;  
  
It's sleeping in my memory.  
  
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.  
  
If I never loved I never would have cried.  
  
I am a rock,  
  
I am an island.  
  
I have my books  
  
And my poetry to protect me;  
  
I am shielded in my armor,  
  
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.  
  
I touch no one and no one touches me.  
  
I am a rock,  
  
I am an island.  
  
And a rock feels no pain;  
  
And an island never cries.  
  
  
  
Anne walked through the lonely and abandoned ally in Seattle. She breathed on the ice cold air allowing it to fill her body. She wore a Whit short sleeve shirt that hugged her curves tightly. The low neckline revealed the top of her Breasts. She had an old faded black Jean jacket on to keep her warm. Her leather skirt fell inches above her bare knees. Her long legs made her look like a model. She stood at 5'8. She wore black hiking boots, that would of looked ocward with her outfit, if some one else had been wearing them. But on her the whole look was quite becoming.  
  
She had short red hair, that blew in the wind like flaming curls. Her eyes were a dark brown, with tints of green. Her full lips were painted with a dark Brandy wine color ant in a permanent smirk. Dark eyeliner brought out her long lashes.  
  
She walked confidently. She was beautiful, and she knew it. She was the type who could have any man she wanted, but she didn't want any of them. She was above them all. They were beneath her. She was powerful, the oldest and strongest X-6 in her class. She was somewhere between 18 and 19.  
  
She was alone, but that was exactly how she wanted it. there was only one person she had ever cared about besides herself, and he had left before the fire. He never even said good-bye. Just disappeared. She was happier alone any ways. She would was the model soldier at Manticore, strong, beautiful, with no attachments. They sent her on missions that no one else would do.  
  
Her life had been happy since the end of Manticore. She had stolen food and money to support herself. But recently a fear had begun to take her over. People now knew about her kind. And they wanted them dead. She knew they couldn't hurt her of course. She was the ideal form of a human. How could anyone harm her. She had never been so much as bruised by another person, not even an X5. But she still didn't want people to know her identity.  
  
"Well well" a man said behind her. She immediately felt angry with herself. She had been unaware someone was following her. She was lost in thought about the one friend she had ever had. She turned to see a man in his late thirties. He wasn't some bum like she expected. He was clean cut, and wore a Black suit. He had a few bruises on his face, that were quickly fading.. "Now, what is one of your type doing in an ally way, alone, at night?" he said, with a, arrogant attitude.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you" she said passively. She turned and started walking again, but was very taken aback by shock, when he appeared in front of her. Only an X series could of done that, but he didn't look like any X she had ever seen.  
  
"You see, that's where your wrong" he said. He pulled out a gun. "It's my job to be concerned about the likes of you". She kicked his hand, and succeeded in making him drop the gun. She let out a hollow laugh. "Your out of your league old man, I suggest you run home to whatever family one like you might have, before I kick your ass" she said.  
  
"Ahh, wrong again. It's you who is out of you league. And the only family I had was torn apart by one of you. So I'm sure you'll understand why I hate you all" He punched her quickly in the face, so quickly she wasn't remotely prepared for it. She stumbled back with the force of it, but quickly regained control. "You should not of done that" she said. She moved to punch him, but he easily blocked it. She attempted a round house kick, but he grabbed her foot, and landed her on her back. Her head hit the hard ground with a thud. She felt blood trickle down the back of her neck. She rolled back to her feet, and slammed fist right into his face. He had apparently not expected her quick recovery. She turned and ran. It wasn't like her to run from a fight, but she had never fought anyone with such speed and strength.  
  
It was only a minute before she realized that he was close behind her. There was only one place she could go now, a place she had been very much avoiding for the past few weeks. But she was injured. She was already slowed by the blow to her head.  
  
She made many turns, and took the longest, roughest road's, hoping to loose her stalker. When she saw the lights, of terminal city, and the fire of angry protesters, she looked back and was relieved not to see him. She didn't slow down at all though. She knew she wouldn't be able to make it past the angry mob, so she ran around the block. There was a back way you could get to terminal city underground. An X5 she met in a bar a few weeks back had told her about it.  
  
She was now lightheaded and dizzy. Her vision was becoming bleary. She shook her head, Her vision was cleared, but her head ached even more severely because of it. She quickly scanned the street, then saw it. It was a small X on the road next to a sewer entry. Only one with enhanced vision would ever notice it, and even then they would have to be looking for it.  
  
She climbed down into the reeking wasteland, and started running again, until she found her destination. Another small X on a wall in the sewer. She looked up, and saw her way to freedom. She climbed up the old rusty ladder. Some one reached out a hand to help her up.  
  
She looked up and found her self face to face with a woman with dark skin, and even darker eyes. She looked to her left and saw a tall handsome man with dark curly hair. "She's injured" the woman said. The woman said something else, but she couldn't make it out. Darkness was taking over her field of vision.  
  
She felt now with full force the dizziness, and the last thing she was aware of, was falling into the arms of the young man, and his green eyes sparkling down at her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Small disclaimer- all rights blah blah blah go to Fox, or whoever owns Dark Angel now. Songs in this chapter were "Tangerine" by Led Zeppelin "Gollums song" written by Howard shore, and, "I am a Rock" by Simon and Garfunkel. 


	2. Alec's Chapter

Vivir  
  
Alec's Chapter  
  
Alec & Eric  
  
To all the kids with heroin eyes,  
  
Don't do it, don't do it.  
  
Because it's not not what it seems,  
  
No no it's not not what it seems.  
  
Salvation, salvation, salvation is free.  
  
Salvation, salvation, salvation is free.  
  
  
  
Alec Stepped in front of the young X6 that had been pointed out to him by Max the day before. He looked small, but Alec guessed it was just because he was curled up into a ball. Alec watched the smoke rise form his cigarette, then looked at the top of his head. His hair was flopping over his knees.  
  
Alec was caught off guard for a moment by a somewhat unpleasant thought. Had his own brother, Ben, been like this? Sitting in corners, all alone, smoking a cigarette that slowly consumed his life. Something had made him loose it, was it the loneliness. He shook his head, he couldn't think of that, he would drive himself crazy.  
  
Back to the boy. Max had pointed him out because she noticed he hadn't been taking meals, or doing anything. He just sat in his corner, occasional lighting up a cigarette. She was disturbed that someone still didn't have a home in terminal city, since there was so many vacant beaten down apartments. She had asked Alec to talk to him, maybe have him stay with him for a few days, until they found a home for him.  
  
Alec had been upset that she just didn't do it herself. Max had replied that he needed a male friend, someone to look up to. Alec had told her he didn't want to be a role model. Max had Smacked him. Alec agreed to talk to the kid.  
  
He waited for the boy to notice him, but he didn't. "Hello" he said cheerfully. The boy looked up at him for a moment, then put his head back down, not saying anything. This annoyed Alec, and he probably would of left, but he had recognised the boy. He had been under hiss training for a while, but Manticore moved him down to a lower level, decideing he wasn't good enough. Alec rememberd being amused because his barcode number was 123.  
  
He remeberd 123 as being weak, and not very good at combat skils. As he thought about it, he rememberd 123 wasn't really good at anything. Or anything that Manticore had to offer. "X6-123" he said with his CO voice.  
  
Training took over and the boy got up to his feet. "Sir" he said. Then he shook his head, "You can't give me orders, were not at Manticore" he said.  
  
Alec nodded his head in agreement, "I just wanted your attention, Eric is it now?" he said reading the name embroiderd onto the kids jacket.  
  
"Sure why not" Eric said, he had afterall used the name before. But not many people asked him fr it, so he wasn't used to it. It had a nice ring to it though.  
  
"Right, well, do you have a place to stay here in terminal city?" Alec asked him. Eric shook his head. "Well then, you're in luck" he said. "You see, I'm friends with the girl who basicaly runs terminal city, so I can get you one of the better ones.  
  
"That's nice of you, but I'm fine" Eric said. He folded his arms tightly infornt of him, as if to keep warm.  
  
Alec noticed now That his skin was quite pale, bordering on blue. He looked cold. Colder then it was in terminal city. His heart at last went out to this young boy. He cursed Max for makeing him care about people. "Listen, I can't let you stay here. You're obviously very cold, and you look like you could do with some food" He said reasonably. Eric didn't respond, he simply looked up at Alec with his large puppy like brown eyes. "Come back and stay with me, I have more then enough room, and tomorrow I'll take you to look at some of the open apartments at Terminal city" Alec said.  
  
Eric was now sure that this man was crazy. Alec wanted him to come and stay with him. He didn't even know him. But the temtation of warmth and food out weighed the wierdness of the situation. "Okay" he said under his breath, still unsure of his decision.  
  
Alec was actualy quite surprised that he had agreed to the arangement. But he was also a bit relieved. The problem now was that he wasn't sure he wanted some punk teenager hanging around his apartment. He was also a bit worried that Eric would tell Max that he had a little bit of an ilegal Cable hook up in his home. Acording to Max, no one was suposed to have a tv at all.it would be unfair to the rest. "Great" Alec said, "Come with me and I'll show you my place, get you some food, and try to find you some warmer clothes" he said. He smiled uneasily.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alec & Ann  
  
so it's better this way, I said  
  
having seen this place before  
  
where everything we said and did hurts us all the more  
  
its just that we stayed, too long  
  
in the same old sickly skin  
  
I'm pulled down by the undertow  
  
I never thought I could feel so low  
  
oh darkness I feel like letting go  
  
if all of the strength  
  
and all of the courage  
  
come and lift me from this place  
  
I know I could love you much better than this  
  
full of grace  
  
full of grace  
  
my love  
  
  
  
Alec walked through the main building of terminal city, with Eric close behind. He saw Max walking towards them, instantly he smiled. She nodded in his general direction. Alec motioned his head back to point out that he had Eric with him. This managed to get a smile out of Max. But she still looked distressed over somthing.  
  
Alec turned back to Eric, "I need to talk to that girl over there, I'll just be a minute, okay?" he told the boy. Eric pasivly nodded his head. Alec smiled at him, but Erics expression remained the same.  
  
Alec walked over to Max, and put a hand on her shoulder, "Somthing Wrong Max?", he asked.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact there is" she said looking up at him. "This girl X6 turned up injured about 5 minutes ago. She passed out as soon as she got here. We don't have anywhere to put her. We're working on building a medical ward, but it's not nearly ready for a patient" she stopped talking, waiting for him to reply.  
  
"Well, where is she now?" he asked.  
  
"Zane's with her at my apartment" she told him. "But the thing is, I only have one room, and Zane's going to be staying with me for a while. Alec, she can't stay with me, she has no where to sleep" she smiled at him. "I was thinking, you have one extra rooms, right? and don't tell me no. I know you picked one of the bigger apartments", she said.  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. But that room will be going to the other X6 you had me pick up. At least untill he gets his own place" Alec said. Max gave him a pretty please look. "Max, no. My apartment is not going to become a playground for X6's." he said more sternly. There was no way he was going to let Max talk him into takeing in another one.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alec couldn't believe he had let Max talk him into takeing in another one. He stood in his beaten down kitchen, watching Eric heat up a can of soup on the barely working stove. He had his arms crossed, and an angry look on his face that Eric was begining to notice. He was waiting for Max and Zane to get there with this unconcious X6.  
  
"If you didn't want this girl staying with you, why did you agree" Eric asked. He was begining to shift under Alecs anger.  
  
"You wouldn't understand" Alec told him. "You don't know Max, It's absoloutly imposible to say no to that woman!" his voiced raised a little as he talked about Max. Eric jumped back a little at Alecs tone. Alec was about to apologize, but he heard MAx and Zane coming up his hall. He wanderd what took them so long. Max's apartment was only about 3 doors down.  
  
Max came in first, with out nocking, and cleard off a pile of clothes from Alecs couch, letting them fall to the ground. "Hey" Alec said, "some of those clothes were clean" he crossed his arms.  
  
"Deal with it" Max said. "Okay Zane, bring her in" she called out to Zane. Alec then saw the dark haired man from earlier walk into the room, carrying a bundle of a woman. Alec couldn't see her face, it was hidden by her flameing red hair. Her clothes were torn a little, like the clotheing of most people from Manticore.  
  
Zane layed her down on the couch. A few locks of hair fell out of her face, and Alec saw a very familiar face. His mind flashed back to smiles and sunlight reflecting gold. He rushed over to the side of the couch and dropped to his knees. He brushed away more of her hair, so that her whole face was visable. His mind showed him her chocolate brown eyes, and full pink lips. "I know this girl" he said.  
  
"What?" Max asked surprised.  
  
"I know her. Back at Manticore, the best X5s were put on to train a group of X6s. She was in it. She was my second in comand. It must of been white or some one from is weird little cult. Max, she was strong. Stronger then me" he said. He reached a hand out and stroked her face with his thumb, "She was my friend. My only friend" he told them.  
  
"Well that's perfect" Max said, though she wasn't to happy about the expression that was on his face as he looked down at her. "She'll have a familiar person to stay with" she said.  
  
Alec was in a world of flashes and moments of this girl. He rememberd her laugh, her voice, and the way she would hum tunes that she made up in her mind. He heard nothing of what Max was saying. He pulled his sleve over his hand, and wiped her smeared eyeliner off of her eyes. Then he wiped away her lipstick. There, her face was clearer to him now.  
  
He rememberd the sunlight reflecting off her face, and her hair. Golden hair, not red. Gold like the sun. That's what he used to call her, Sun. "X6-914, or Sun" he said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Alec & Max  
  
That's how you show your love for me  
  
That's how you show your love for me, you're like  
  
Here today, gone tomorrow Each time you come, you leave a little sorrow, you're like  
  
Here today, gone tomorrow  
  
Each time you come, you leave a little sorrow  
  
  
  
Alec walked Max out of his apartment, and over to hers. She stopped in front of her door. "You alright Alec?" she asked him.  
  
"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know, you were just acting a little wierd in there, that's all" she said to him. She reached out a hand and put it on his arm, "You can talk to me, you know that right?" she asked him.  
  
Alec smiled, "Yeah I know, I think I'm just a little shocked to see her after so long" he said. He looked down into her dark eyes, wanting nothing more then to look at her for the rest of the evening.  
  
Max met his gaze for a moment, then turned away, takeing back her hand. "Well, I better go, Zane and I need to talk some more about all the things that have happend. Then I need to work out a few systems for the medical phisility we're trying to build" she said.  
  
Alec took a step towards her, moving on an impulse, and slung his arm around her shoulder. He leand his face down near her ear, "don't work to hard, you may be a geneticaly engineered super soldier, but your still human" he whisperd. He kissed hercheek, then turned to go with out looking back.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Disclaimer- songs used in this chapter were 'Salvation' by the cranberries, 'Full of Grace' by Sarah Mclachlan, and 'Here today, gone tomorrow' by David Bowie. 


	3. Ann's chapter

Vivir  
  
Ann's chapter  
  
Eric & Ann  
  
Eric looked at the unconscious girl. Alec had gone to walk Max back over to her apartment about ten minutes ago. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable in here, with some stranger. He longed for his old corner. But it was in fact warm in here, and he did feel better with a can of chicken noodle soup in his belly.  
  
He walked over to the girl, and kneeled on the ground next to the couch. Her face was almost angelic. He decided that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. But Eric thought that about a lot of people. A lock of her hair fell down over her cheek, covering her face a bit. He reached out a hand to push it back, but then lost his nerve. He felt that it wouldn't be right to touch this girl.  
  
He could see her eye's moving under the lids in dream. He wondered if she was about to wake up soon. He wanted her to. He wanted to talk to her; he wanted to be her friend. She looked so soft in sleep. He thought she might be like him if she woke up.  
  
She shifted slightly, and moaned a little bit as if in nightmare. He wanted to make her feel better, but was still afraid to touch her. Her rosy cheeks and long lashes were an ever-growing temptation however. Maybe he would just stroke her cheek once. It might comfort her a bit, he reasoned with himself.  
  
He reached out a hand, but when he got close to an inch from her face, the girl's hand reached out quickly, and grabbed his wrist. Her eyes snapped open, and she looked panicked for just a second.  
  
"Hello boy" her voice caressed the words. Now that she was awake her face looked sterner. Her eye's held sadness and anger. She sat up quickly, without releasing his wrist; her grip was beginning to hurt Eric. "Where am I?" She asked, looking at her surroundings.  
  
"Um.... We're in Alec's apartment, at terminal city," he told her. "Do you think that you could let go of my wrist now?" he asked trying to pull away.  
  
Her grip only tightened. "I'll let go when I'm ready to" she said. "Now, who is this Alec, is he one of us? What's his bar code number?" she asked.  
  
Eric whimpered a little from the pain in his wrist, but answered her question anyway, "I think it is X5-494," he said.  
  
Her eyes almost lit up at this statement, and her grip loosened. For one brief second her face looked as it had in sleep. She looked like the person he was hoping she would be, instead of the cold woman she was a second ago. "Where is he?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know," he said. "He was supposed to be gone only a minute or two, but it's been about ten minutes," he told her.  
  
"Oh" she said. She bit down on her lower lip, and raised an eyebrow, studying him. "How old are you boy?" she asked.  
  
"I think I'm about 16" he told her. "How old are you?" he asked.  
  
"18, the oldest X6 in my class. You must be the youngest in yours" she commented. He had no response. It was the truth. "Well, boy, is there a bathroom I can freshen up in?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, it's around here somewhere" he said. He hadn't really gotten the tour of the place yet. "And my name isn't boy, it's Eric" he told her. He didn't like the way she called him boy, as if she was so much better then him. "Do you have a name or just a barcode number?" he asked.  
  
"It doesn't matter" she said, "But I guess you could call me Ann, that's my latest alias" she told him, disappearing around the corner into the bathroom.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alec & Ann  
  
Alec walked down the streets of terminal city. He had kissed Max on the cheek, he didn't even know why. He knew she wasn't in to him. She was all about Logan. No matter how hard he tried, he would always be second to Logan. To Max, he was just some man who held the face of her beloved lost brother.  
  
He kicked a stone, and looked up, realizing he was back at the front of his building. He turned and walked in the door, and up the stairs, never looking up. He wondered when his girl, Sun, would wake up.  
  
He walked in the door, and Saw Eric on the couch. "Where is she?" he asked Eric. The girl was nowhere in sight.  
  
"Ann's in the bathroom. Now, I believe you promised me food?" he said.  
  
Ann? It took a moment to register in his mind that that must be what she now called herself. "Ann" he mumbled quietly under his breath. "You can help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen" he told Eric, "There's some soup, and some sandwich stuff, nothing too fancy".  
  
Alec walked over towards the bathroom, and knocked on the door lightly. Ann heard, and quickly finished applying her eyeliner before answering the door. And there he was: her teacher, her CO, her 494. "Ann?" he asked.  
  
"That's what they call me these days," she said with a smile. "And you, I suppose you have a name now?" she questioned.  
  
"They call me Alec," he told her, returning the smile. He reached a hand out and patted her shoulder. "It's good to see you are alive and well," he said.  
  
"Alive I may be, but this ache in my head doesn't really make me feel well," she told him. He laughed a little bit. "So, Alec, do you have any food? 'Cause I haven't eaten anythin' for days" she rubbed her stomach.  
  
"Yup" he told her, "You X6s, all you seem to want is food," he said leading her into the kitchen.  
  
A/N this isn't a very long chapter for so long a wait, I know, but I'm having trouble with inspiration for this story. I have the beginning, the middle, and the end figured out, it's just the in-between that's giving me trouble. Anyway, please, please, please review!!! 


	4. Small Side Affects

Vivir  
Small Side Affects  
  
His lips were heat, running over her skin, tasting her body. His strong hands held her waist as his mouth caressed her skin. Max ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his head up so that his lips met with her own, then pulling back to look strait into the eyes of.... Alec?  
  
Max sat right up in bed, her face red and flushed, her body driping with sweat. "Oh no" she said as she slowly put the pieces together in her head, "Not again, not now" she said to herself. She was in heat.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Soup. Warm sweet delicious soup. It filled his stomach and heated his entire body. He didn't care which kind of soup, be it tomato, or chicken noodle, or vegetable as long as it was soup.  
  
Eric dipped a crumbling saltine into the rich red liquid that filled his chipped bowl, and stuffed it whole into his mouth. At Manticore, there had been only four types of food. Fruit, vegetables, meat, and, and mush. Sometimes, if they were lucky, they got a glass of milk.  
  
He held the cracker in his mouth for a moment, savoring the salty tomato flavor, then crunched it down and swallowed. Eric looked up from his bowl, and turned his gaze towards Ann, who was distastefully dragging her spoon through her bowl. "Don't you like your soup?" he asked.  
  
Ann shook her head. "I prefer something with a little more substance then mushed up tomatoes". She brought the spoon up to her mouth, and gulped it down. "But, at least it's warm" she said.  
  
"You just need to try different types of soups," Eric told her. "There's soup with chicken in it, and there's soup with noodles. There's this one soup in the cabinet, it's called alphabet soup. I can't wait to try that." His voice was very enthusiastic.  
  
Ann's mouth turned up in a small smile. In the past two days, she had found herself strangely amused by this young boy. He didn't seem like a Manticore type at all. He seemed fragile, innocent. He seemed weak. "Toss me some of those crackers, will ya?" she asked him.  
  
He grinned at her, and gave her a handful of them. "The soup is much better with crackers, you'll love it," he said.  
  
She shook her head a little. Besides the emptiness that he hid behind his amber eyes, he seemed untouched by Manticore. He definitely didn't look like a soldier. Though in the past couple of days he had regained some color in his cheeks, he was still thin and boyish. His hair seemed too light to be Manticore made; it blew so easily in the wind, more like feathers then hair.  
  
Ann brought a hand up to her own hair. It had been the same shade of gold at one point, but it was a fiery red now. It was soft, yet thick and full, not like Eric's at all.  
  
She dipped the cracker into her soup, and pulled it up to her mouth as she had seen Eric doing earlier. She had to give the boy credit: it was better this way. She chewed and swallowed. Food was making her feel more alive, and that was good.  
  
It was about 4 am, and Alec was sleeping, which put her and Eric alone together. She was still unsure how she felt about Eric. He was nice, sure, but so were a lot of people. Ann just wasn't meant for friends. And she knew that, in fact, she liked it. Alec was her friend, at least he had been. She hadn't gotten a chance to talk to him much yet, he had been really busy, helping with runs for terminal city, so...  
  
It didn't matter though. If he was her friend still, then great. If not, then oh well, she could survive without him. She didn't need anyone. She didn't want anyone.  
  
A loud clatter pulled her out of her thoughts. Eric's bowl had fallen to the floor. "Having trouble there?" she asked him. He didn't answer. His eyes were completely void of any emotion, and she realized that he was shaking. "Eric?" she said his name, trying to pull him out of whatever it was that was happening to him.  
  
He fell off of the stool he had been occupying, and hit the ground with a thud. "ALEC!!" she called out for Alec, hoping it would wake him up, and bring him into the living room, and she rushed over the Eric's side, putting a hand on his shoulder, trying to steady him.  
  
She had thought he seemed free from scaring from Manticore. She had obviously been wrong, because things like this didn't happen to normal people.  
  
Alec came stumbling into the room a moment latter, wearing nothing but a thin pair of white boxers. His gaze focused immediately on Eric, and he went to his knees next to Ann on the floor by Eric's side. "What happened?" Alec asked.  
  
"I don't know, we were just talking, and he started shaking, and then he fell," she started to explain. "Alec, what's wrong with him? He seemed fine only a couple of minutes ago," she asked. She reached a hand out and placed it on Eric's face, his skin felt hot, and beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead.  
  
"He's having a seizure," Alec told her. "Your sector was lucky, none of you suffered from them. I didn't think that many X6s had problems with them. Manticore had found the problem, and avoided it with most of you, Eric must be one of the few exceptions."  
  
"Well, what do we do?" Ann asked, "Is there something we can give him?" she didn't like the empty look in Eric's eyes as he shook.  
Alec reached out his hands, and scooped up the smaller boy up into his arms, "There was a pill or something, I can't remember what it was called. Trypto-somthing. Max has some, I think. She used to get seizures pretty badly." He carried Eric over to the couch and set him down.  
  
"Wait here with Eric, I'm going to go see if Max has any of it left," Alec exited the apartment, leaving Ann alone with the trembling boy.  
  
She looked down at him; his eyes were closed now so she found it easier to watch him. "Alec will be back soon, it will be okay," she said. She turned away from him, and went back into the kitchen, looking for a rag to clean up the spilled soup.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Max leaned against the bathroom wall after stepping out of an ice cold shower. She was freezing, and shaking, but she needed it. Zane was on the other side of the door, and she did NOT want to loose control around her brother. That was the last thing she needed.  
  
She turned the water off, and strained to hear whether or not Zane was yet awake. If he was asleep, then she could just slip back into her room, lock the door, and wait for 24 to 48 hours until she came out of it.  
  
She almost fell to the ground in horror when she heard Alec's voice in the other room. Her mind instantly flashed to her dream, and she felt she might need another cold shower.  
  
'Come on Max, pull yourself together' she thought to herself. All she needed to do was wait in the bathroom until he left. She listened to what was being said in the living room.  
  
"Do you know where she keeps it?" Alec asked Zane. His voice sounded urgent.  
  
"I have no idea. She told me she hasn't had problems with them since she was back at Manticore. She had thought they gave her some type of correction drug or something," Zane told the other man.  
  
"Well, I know that" Alec said, "She does tell me some things, but I know she still keeps it around, just in case." Max hear ruffling noises, like he was searching for something.  
  
Seizures. Someone was having seizures, most likely Ann or Eric since Alec was the one looking for her pills. They were in the drawer of the nightstand by her bed, but it didn't sound like Zane was going to let Alec in her room.  
  
"Listen, Max will be out soon, just give the kid some milk, and she'll be over with the Tryptophan as soon as she's out" Zane said.  
  
"Milk? Give him Milk? Let me look for the God damn pills!" Alec said, his voice was sounding angrier every second.  
  
"Alec, I know Max wouldn't want you going through her things. Just wait for her to get out of the shower," Zane said calmly.  
  
"I don't hear water running" Alec said. Max heard him taking steps, coming closer to the door, then his fist knocking against the wood. "Max, I need the Tryptophan, where do you keep it?" he asked.  
  
God his voice sounded good. So smooth and deep. Had it always sounded so sexy? It was the perfect voice for him. She saw his face now in her mind, so smooth free of flaw. He always kept his face so smoothly shaven, his skin looked so soft. His cheeks were probably flushed with red now, from his anger and worry.  
  
"Max, are you in there?" Alec asked again.  
  
Max came back to her senses. Tryptophan. They needed Tryptophan. "Its in the drawer of my night stand." Her voice came out thick, and husky. She hoped that they didn't notice. "You can just go in and grab them." her voice was a little closer to normal this time.  
  
"Thanks" Alec said. She could almost see him glaring at Zane in a little 'I told you so' fashion.  
  
Max turned around and turned on the water. The cold water. She had just stepped out, and thanks to Alec's little arrival, she already needed another one.  
  
A/N- Sorry for the long wait. Summer is here now though, and it shouldn't take me as long to come out with new stuff anymore. But then again I say that all the time don't I? I just wanted to tell anyone who reads this story, or any of my other stories, that I haven't abandoned any of them. They will all be finished in time. If I do however decide not to finish them I will put out a notice informing you all of the decision.  
  
Also, I know this chapter didn't center a lot on the trouble of being in heat, even though it started out with it, but this whole chapter was really just a set up for the next one. Which I will produce as soon as I can.  
  
In other news, I'd like to give a shout out for my other stories, just because I can. I plan to update 'Walking this way' next, which is a story taking place in Buffy-verse, centering around Faith and Connor. After that, I may attempt a new chapter for 'A Different Life, or I may come back to this one. Or, the third option, I've been working on a little piece about Ben's life up to Pollo Loco, it will connect slightly with 'Are you truly here' and the flashbacks involved in that piece. If anyone would be interested in seeing that, then just e-mail me, or leave the interest in a review.  
  
And Please, Review.  
  
Thanks for reading, ~Igraine 


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